Chapter Nine: Decisions

Chloe fought against wakefulness, doing her best to ignore the sunlight flickering against her closed eyelids. She was warm and comfortable, and in no mood to remove herself from the luxurious feel of satin sheets against her bare skin. She tried to roll over to block out the light, only to be stopped when the arm wrapped around her waist tightened, pulling her back. With a start, she realized that part of her warmth was coming from Lex's equally bare body spooned up against hers. Before she could even wonder if he was awake or not she felt him nuzzle the back of her neck, his lips somehow hitting just the spot that made her feel like purring.

"Mmmm."

"Morning," Lex's voice sounded huskily against her ear. She could feel his smirk against her skin. "Sleep well?" Chloe's lips curled in a smirk of her own at the innuendo laced through his voice.

"Oh yeah. I got picked up by this amazing guy and he showed me a good time. I was totally exhausted by the time he finally let me sleep."

"Wore you out, did he?" Amusement and pride mixed in Lex's voice. "He must be really something."

"I'll say." Chloe tried hard to keep the laughter out of her words. "He's fantastic in bed. And talk about hot. He has this amazing physique; piercing eyes; and the most gorgeous full head of hair—"

She cut off when Lex whipped her around, looming over her with a half-serious glower. Chloe's eyes sparkled mischievously as she reached out a finger to trail slowly down his chest.

"Well, two out of three, anyway." She grinned up at him. "I forgot I like my men bald." The smirk was back on Lex's face at that.

"Do you, now? A recent development?" Chloe's eyes sparkled again.

"Not exactly."

"'Not exactly'?" Lex raised a curious eyebrow. "So when did this particular preference start?" Chloe glanced down at his chest where her fingers were nervously tracing patterns.

"It's possible I may have . . ." The rest of her sentence was lost as she trailed off into a mumble. Lex's forehead creased.

"Chloe?" She sighed.

"I said, I may have had a little crush on you in high school," she said, enunciating clearly. "Well," she amended, "maybe a big crush." She looked up to see his slightly shocked look. "What? You were really hot! It's perfectly understandable. Oh, God."

She squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment, and Lex noted that her blush spread down onto her chest, tinting it a delicate pink. He was suddenly very aware of the fact that they were both still naked and that Chloe was lying practically beneath him, well within his reach. Before he did anything, though, there was something he had to be sure of.

"Well, now I don't feel quite as guilty for the thoughts I used to have about you back then." Chloe cracked one eye open and peered at him.

"You thought about me?"

"Can you blame me?" he raised an eyebrow suggestively. "You were pretty damn hot yourself." She blushed again and he continued. "I was attracted to you from the first time I saw you," he told her, smoothing a hand over her hair. Their eyes locked, and the intensity of his gaze stilled the snarky retort that had been on her lips. "It took me a little longer to fall in love with you. I tried to fight against it, but everything about you . . . your wit, your intelligence, the way you wouldn't let me get away with anything . . . it just kept drawing me in until before I knew it, I was completely past the point of no return."

He traced the backs of his fingers over her cheek as she lay entranced by what he was telling her. The intensity of his gaze never faltered, though his heart constricted at what he was about to say.

"I need to know, Chloe . . . now, when we're away from the heat of the moment . . . if you didn't mean what you said last night, I need to know. Just tell me the truth, no matter what it is."

Lex could see the indecision raging in her eyes. She was debating whether or not to give him the truth; the problem was he had no idea what the truth might be. Oh, he knew what he wanted it to be, but he was almost afraid to hope that her words might have been real.

He was giving her an out. Chloe recognized it even as he spoke the words. All she had to do was tell him no, tell him that she didn't love him, and he would let it go. She could take it all back, and she would be safe. Safe from heartbreak, safe behind her walls again—all she had to do was say the words. Words that would hurt him. He was offering her protection, though it would rip at his own soul if she took it. Her heart faltered. It was long past the point of no return for her, as well. She reached up to run her fingertips along his jaw.

"I love you Lex." Hope swelled in his eyes, and she found she couldn't stop saying the words. "I love you. I love you. I love y—"

He finally cut her off by sealing his lips to hers. Her lips parted willingly when his tongue swept over them, her arms reaching up to encircle his neck. He shifted, settling his weight over her and pulling her to him. Without breaking the kiss, his hand traveled to her legs, shifting her open wider. In one smooth motion he slipped into her; their kiss broke on her small gasp and their gazes locked again.

Lex began to move in slow, languorous strokes, his eyes heavy and dark as he watched her. Chloe's vision began to blur until only Lex was clear in her sight, the rest of the world reduced to an insignificant haze. This wasn't the frantic coupling of the night before, fast and hot and wild. This time was all unhurried strokes and lingering touches, each movement carrying with it everything that they felt for each other. Chloe reached up and brought Lex's mouth back to hers, ignoring her lungs' cries for breath. Their tongues brushed softly against each other before they tangled together. This time her climax came not as a burst of sensation but a tingling warmth that spread through her veins like liquid joy, wave after wave sweeping through her as Lex, too, found his release. Their mouths separated again and he buried his head in her neck as both of them struggled to catch their breath.

Lex nuzzled against the crook of her neck, smiling when she shivered at the feel of his lips brushing over her dampened skin. He began to place teasing kisses along the column of her neck, and her hands stroked along his back, her nails tracing up and down his spine. Just as his teeth were scraping over her pulse point he groaned as realization hit him. He raised his head and offered an almost sheepish smile at the confused and disappointed look on her face.

"I have to go in to the plant at one for a meeting on the inspection, and I have a small mountain of paperwork I have to finish before I go."

"I understand," Chloe smiled at him. She shifted slightly and Lex drew in a sharp breath at the sensation.

"Then again, maybe I don't need to go in today." He leaned down to nip at her jaw line, and Chloe grinned and pushed him back.

"Come on, Lex. People are counting on you to find a way out of this. Let me take a shower and I'll meet you in your office."

"We could always share a shower," he suggested with a devilish smirk. "I could wash your back." Chloe laughed as she pushed at his chest, and he raised himself up with a resigned sigh. "I guess I'm going to have to go then."

"Well, if you're a very good boy," she said, sitting up to purr in his ear, "we can try that shower thing after your meeting." She nipped at his earlobe and slipped away before he could reach for her. He smirked after her as she walked to the bathroom.

"I never would have figured you for a tease, Ms. Sullivan." She shot a sultry look over her shoulder.

"There are a lot of things about me you wouldn't expect, Mr. Luthor," she told him.

"I actually picked up on that last night," she heard him chuckle as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

Chloe let a smirk settle over her face and started running the water for her shower. She had never felt so wonderful in her entire life; every part of her body was fairly humming with life. Her arms lifted above her head and she rose up on her toes, stretching out all of the muscles she had just discovered she had. Lips still curled in a satisfied smirk, she stepped into the shower and let the hot water course over her skin. As she lathered up her body, an image floated through her head—Lex pressing kisses to her stomach as rivulets of water streamed over them both. Lex's hands on her, just there; his body supporting hers against the smooth tiled wall; kissing him through a cloud of steam. Chloe let out a small moan. Maybe she should have taken Lex up on his offer. She grinned wickedly. At least now she had something to look forward to.

She finished her shower quickly, determined not to get distracted by her thoughts again. A towel wrapped around her, she stepped out of the bathroom and caught sight of the bed. The previously tangled sheets were straightened now, all evidence of what had happened there erased. Sitting innocently on the foot of the bed was a tray of food, complete with the single red rose that unfailingly accompanied Lex's offerings.

Chloe took a deep breath. Lex was going to be disappointed.

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The phone sat innocently in its cradle, an inanimate bit of plastic that somehow seemed to whisper to him, taunting him. He ran a hand over his eyes and fought against the sick feeling roiling around in his gut. She had said she didn't blame him, but they both knew that it was his fault, that all of it was his fault. She was no dummy—she knew the real reason for the plant closing. And now he had to make a choice. Not that she would ever force him to; no, that was something she would never do. But for his own peace of mind, he had to choose. And he knew what choice he would have to make.

His decision made, Matthew grabbed his keys and headed off to the Luthor manor.

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Chloe sat curled into the corner of the sofa in the library, another untouched tray of food on the table in front of her. Her heart was constricted, as though an invisible hand was slowly but steadily squeezing it into pulp. The image of Lex's face was burned into her memory; no matter where she looked, there it was before her. He hadn't mentioned the tray of food she hadn't eaten, but hurt and confusion were clear in his expression. That was when the constriction around her heart had started, and it hadn't eased at all in the time since. Now he was gone to his meeting, and a new tray sat in front of her. Neither of them had said anything when he had set it on the table; he wouldn't push her, and there were no words for her to explain herself to him. All she could see now was his face, searching desperately for understanding, for a reassurance that she just couldn't give him.

That was how Matthew found her when he was shown into the library—curled into herself and staring fixedly at the food in front of her. He frowned and slowly walked farther into the room. Chloe didn't seem to notice him, even when he reached the opposite end of the couch.

"Chloe?"

Her head snapped up and her eyes focused on him; when she saw who it was she offered him an overly bright smile.

"Matthew! Hey, what's up?"

"I was looking for Lex, actually," he told her, sitting gingerly on the sofa, making sure to keep a couple of feet from her. "Is he around?"

"No, he left for an inspection meeting at the plant about half an hour ago. He said he'd probably be back in an hour or so." She finally caught Matthew's expression. "Matthew? What's wrong?"

"I guess your dad's probably going to be at the meeting too, right?" he asked, avoiding her question. She frowned.

"Yeah, probably. Matthew, what is it?" A knot of apprehension began to form in her stomach. "Why did you want to see Lex?" He sighed.

"I wanted to give him a heads-up." When Chloe's look changed to one of confusion, Matthew stood up and began to pace. "Michelle's family . . . well, money has been tight for a while, now . . . and with the plant closed down . . ." Chloe closed her eyes as realization hit.

"Her dad works at the plant. He was one of the major players in the employee buyout." Matthew nodded.

"If this halt goes on for much longer, they're going to lose their house. And it's not just them—there are dozens of other families in the same situation. Your dad has to open the plant again soon."

"But he's never going to do that," Chloe protested. "Not unless I get out of here, and there's no way to . . ." she trailed off at Matthew's uncomfortable look. "Matthew? What aren't you telling me?"

"Well . . . um . . . ok, don't get mad," he started.

"Why would I get mad, Matthew?" Chloe asked, her words evenly spaced as her suspicion grew. Matthew rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, a nervous gesture of his that was never good news for her temper.

"Well, when I told you that you couldn't leave . . . that may have been a slight overstatement. See, there's this little loophole that I didn't mention. If someone gets you to leave willingly with them, you can go with no problem. But I swear," he rushed on, "I never imagined that your dad would close the plant. And then when he did, I figured Lex could find some way to open it back up again. But he hasn't. So I'm going to tell your dad and Clark today." He waited for her to erupt on him, bracing himself for a full-on Chloe rant. Instead, he was shocked when her eyes went wide with alarm.

"I'll have to leave. My dad won't open up the plant again unless I come home, and if he doesn't open up the plant, all those people are going to lose everything they have . . . I have to leave." Her eyes drifted down, as if she were searching for an answer in the patterns of the rug over the floor. "I have to leave," she repeated.

"I thought you'd be glad about that part," Matthew said, confused. "Isn't that what you've wanted this whole time? I mean," he gestured to the tray on the table, "you still haven't eaten anything." She shook her head, and he could see the tears filling her eyes.

"I can't. I love him so much, and I just can't."

"What?" Matthew was now thoroughly baffled. He moved back to the couch, sitting a little closer this time and tilting his head to try and catch Chloe's gaze. "If you love him, why can't you eat? You must know he loves you, Chloe."

"Oh, I know he loves me now," she said, finally looking at him. "But what about later? How long is it going to be before he leaves? A week? A month? A year or two?" She shook her head and a couple of tears shook loose, falling down her cheeks. "You said we'd be bonded together; I couldn't stand to still be tied to him after he left."

She sat there, trying to catch her breath. It was the first time she had allowed herself to voice the words; the first time she had allowed herself to even really think them. Now she wished she could take them back, keep them inside where no one would be able to see how desperately afraid she was.

Matthew, for his part, was shocked.

"Chloe, Lex isn't going to leave you."

"My own mother left me, Matthew." She laughed, an obviously fake smile on her face. "The one person who's supposed to love you unconditionally, and she just left. Never told me why, or tried to contact me, just left. Just because someone loves you now doesn't mean they always will."

Matthew sighed. She didn't understand. Well, he'd just have to explain it to her.

"If Lex were going to leave you, Chloe, you wouldn't be here." When she started to speak he held up a hand, motioning her to be quiet. "Lex isn't the first one I've Looked into, Chloe. And he wasn't the first one I'd Looked into that day." Chloe's face grew a shade paler.

"You mean you . . . when I hugged you . . ."

"I Looked." Chloe nodded, her face curiously blank.

"And what do I want, Matthew? What's my heart's desire?" Matthew's gaze was filled with compassion.

"What you want more than anything else is for someone to love you . . . and stay. Simple, really. You want a love that won't leave." Chloe just blinked at him, caution and hope warring in her eyes. "If bringing you here were directly opposed to your heart's desire, I never could have done it. I approached Lex because it was the perfect opportunity. He wants you, Chloe. Not just for a little while, but forever."

Matthew sighed again and rose, absentmindedly picking up a pear from Chloe's tray and rolling it between his hands.

"Clark gets off his shift at the Talon at five," he mused. "I'm going to have your dad meet us there, and I'll tell them then." He offered her a weak grin. "Maybe if there are witnesses around they'll leave me alive. Will you tell Lex for me?"

"I'll tell him," Chloe nodded absently, still trying to process what Matthew had told her. He gave her a lopsided grin.

"Remember, Chloe—I offered Lex the chance at what he wanted, but he had to accept it. A chance at your heart's desire doesn't mean a thing if you don't take it." He tossed the pear to her and strolled from the room, leaving Chloe alone once more with her thoughts.



She considered the fruit in her hand. There would have to be some kind of a decision; she could only hope she would be strong enough to make it.


TBC . . . 


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A/N: Don't forget to review! Pretty please?